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Sussex student sexually assaulted on campus POLICE AND THE UNIVERSITY CALL FOR WITNESSES AS THEY HUNT FOR THE ATTACKER
Rosie Dodds News Sub-Editor
Trigger warning: sexual voilence The sexual assault of a 20-year-old University of Sussex student on Falmer campus has been reported to the authorities. The student was raped by a man who followed her into her room, after she had been outside her halls with friends in the early hours of 20 September. The attacker has been described as black or mixed race with Afrostyle hair, between 5’9 and 5’11, aged 19 or 20, and speaking in “broken English”. He was wearing dark clothing, and had a moustache and long fingernails. It is not known whether or not he is a student at Sussex University. The victim reported the attack to the medical staff at the University, and Sussex Police were contacted on 24 September. Officers have spent the last week searching for the offender, speaking to students, and reviewing CCTV footage. Detective Sergeant Simon Dunn has stated: “The victim is understandably very shaken by what has happened. “We urgently need to trace the man involved and to speak to anyone who was on Falmer campus late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning (19-20 September). “If you know the man involved or recognise the description of him, please contact us”. NUS and the Welfare Officer at the Students’ Union have recently launched the ‘I Heart Consent’ campaign which aims to tackle and educate Sussex students on the myths, misunderstandings, and problematic perspectives about rape, sexual consent, and sexual harassment. Rianna Gargiulo, the Students’ Union Welfare Officer commented: “I was of course devastated to hear this news, and my heart goes out to
Sophie Jones the victim of this horrific attack. “In the aftermath of the incident, I hope that our students will continue to channel their disgust and disbelief into promoting a positive sexual dialogue, which I hope can be achieved as we continue working on our I Heart Consent campaign. “I will continue to ensure that sexual assault is dealt with seriously by the University, and will support the introduction of mandatory consent workshops, as Oxbridge have done, if students feel that sexual consent training is a necessity for all members of the University community.” “I would also urge any students
who may have information related to the incident to contact the police urgently and help find the attacker.” A University spokesperson has said: “Our first thoughts are with the woman who was attacked. We are appealing to anyone with information to share it with the police.” “We are doing all we can to support the police, including making available all CCTV footage and contacting students who are resident on campus to appeal for information”. Elin Edstrom, a student at the University of Sussex has com-
mented: “It’s appalling that such a horrendous incident has happened on campus. There should be more lights around the halls of residence, and better security when getting into campus. “I hope that the University will do all that they can to prevent anything like this from happening again, and that it is made sure that the victim and other students living on campus can feel safe in their accommodation once again.” The Students’ Union is currently lobbying for improvements in campus facilities. Anyone who has information
should email 101@sussex.pnn. police.uk quoting serial 993 of 24/09, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Students affected by this incident can seek support from the Student Life Centre: www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre, or the University’s free and confidential Counselling Services: www.sussex.ac.uk/counselling. More information about the ‘I Heart Consent’ campaign can be found on the website: www.sussexstudent.com/campaigns, or on www. facebook.com/iheartconsentsussex.